Improvement in street-railway track-cleaners



A. 'HIGLEY & D. ATWOO'DQ lmprovement'in Street Railway Track Cleaners.

No. 123,345, Q I Patented Feb 6,1872.

10001013. minassesfl AM. P/iam-uruasmrmc M M x OSEQRNEJ" PROCESS I UNITED STATES PATENT QEEIoE.

AARON HIGLEY AND DUSTIN ATWOOD, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN STREET-RAILWAY TRACK-CLEANERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 123,345, dated February 6, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

Be it known that we, AARON HIGLEY and DUSTIN ATWOOD, of Cleveland, in the county of ()uyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and Improved Street Railroad Track-Cleaner, of which the following is a specification:

Description of Drawing.

Figure 1 is a side view of a car-truck to which the track-cleaneris attached. Fig. 2 is an end View. Fig. 3 is a detached section.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the different views.

1V (more and Objects of the Invention;

The nature of this invention relates to a device for removing the snow, ice, and dirt from railroad tracks. Said device consists of a hinged foot or scraper attached to the cartruck, and which is constructed and operated, as hereinafter described.

General Description.

In Fig. 1, A represents a car-truck which is or may be constructed in the ordinary way. Under the platform of said car is hinged a beam, B, Fig. 2, by means of the straps 0 whereby there is given to the beam a "ibratory movement. Projecting from each end of the beam and directly over the rails of the road is an arm, D, to which is attached asupplementary arm or reach, E, a detached view of which is shown in Fig. 3. To said reach is pivoted a scraper, F, by means of a standard,.

Operation.

The practical operation of this device is as follows: As the car moves forward the scrapers are adjusted to the rails by means of the lever H attached to the beam, so that the edge of wing I) will run close to the face of the rail, and the win g it along by the side thereof. By this close relation of the wings to the rail the dirt, snow, or ice, is scraped away, leaving a clean and unobstructed track for the wheels. The scraper can be made to press hard upon the rails by drawing upon the chain I, thereby depressing the arms D, and consequently the scrapers. The scrapers are held in position while scraping by a finger, J, projecting from the end of the supplementary arm, and against which the back of the standard of the scrapers rests while being applied to the rails. By this means they are held firmly and securely to the work, whereas should the car move backward the joint 0 will allow the scrapers to move in the opposite direction and upward from the rail, thereby preventing them from catching, breaking, or scraping, while the car is running in the direction of the arrow; hence they can work effectually only when the car is moving in one direction. The scrapers can be lifted from the rails by depressing the end of the.

lever H, thereby throwing the scrapers from the face of the rails, and thus avoid the danger of their breaking.

We are aware that scrapers are used for cleaning tracks, but this we do not claim broadly; but what distinguishes our-improvement from others, and that which we do claim as our improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the jointed scraper F, attached to the arm D, vibratory-beam B, and lever H, all arranged to operate in the manner as described, and for the purpose specified.

AARON HIGLEY. DUSTIN ATWOOD.

Witnesses W. H. BURRIDGE, D. L. HUMPHREY. 

